Poor Harold Camping got it wrong – again. The world did not end Saturday as the self-proclaimed biblical prophet predicted (he also prophesied the end in 1994).
And so it looks as though we (including the 200 million people who were supposed to be raptured yesterday, according to Camping) continue to be subjugated to yet another day, week, month, year, decade, century or millennium of inhabiting the planet and making do.
Not all “world’s end” prophets were so unfortunate last week, however. Silversea Cruises accurately predicted the end of its world cruise, which concluded precisely as planned on May 19. Congratulations to Silversea Cruises, the victor in “end of the world” predictions during the month of May. With only two contestants, second place probably provides little consolation for the 89-year-old Mr. Camping.
It’s something special to be present at the end of anything, and I was among the fortunate who stepped off Silver Spirit on that sunny Thursday morning in Southampton. And though I had sailed only 31 days, from Dubai, I disembarked with a taste for what it was like for those lucky souls who were raptured aboard the luxury vessel back in January for the 119-day journey from Los Angeles. Indeed, being on board Silver Spirit for weeks upon weeks was heavenly.
It’s astounding to think that on one voyage we “survived” pirates, experienced the “newly reborn” Egypt (including Cairo before it erupted in violence once again), toured the town where the disposed dictator Mubarak was being held, cruised the Suez Canal (physically and symbolically bridging our journey from Asia to Europe), provisioned in Piraeus, learned to cook Sicilian style, saw the quintessential Capri — and so much more. A recap of the posts I filed during the journey follows below.
During the course of my journey, there were many questions from readers of Avid Cruiser. I’ll be answering those questions during the next few weeks. I didn’t want to take the time to answer them before today – just in case Mr. Camping was right.
I don’t know what Mr. Camping is doing today, but because I talked with them over the course of my time on board, I do know what many of Silver Spirit’s world cruisers are doing: planning their next world cruises — on Silver Whisper. The rapture begins in Fort Lauderdale on January 6, 2012, and will end, with certainty, on May 1, in Monte Carlo. Let the countdown begin.
Posts From More Than Four Weeks Spent On Silver Spirit
- Silver Spirit Visits Sinai: A Desert Far Beyond Expectations
- Upgrade Your Silversea Cruise: Dinner At Le Champagne, Worth The Extra Fee?
- In Bilbao Silversea Hosts A Reception At The Guggenheim
- The Reason Kieren Floats Blue Balloons In Every New Port He Visits
- Sensational Sintra & The Portuguese Riviera On A Silversea Shore Excursion
- In Port Now: Silver Spirit Docks In Bilbao, Spain
- Video: Petra & The ‘Stupid’ Tour Guide
- Video: Quintessential Capri, An Exclusive Silversea Tour
- On Silversea: Exemplifying The Essence Of Luxury Cruising
- A Silversea Day In Capri
- Silversea’s Sicily: Market Visit & Cooking Class In Catania
- A Silver Spirit Day In Sicily: Avid Cruiser’s Photo Journal
- ‘Surviving’ Pirates: Silver Spirit Arrives In Piraeus
- From Pirates To Piraeus, Transiting The Gulf Of Aden: How Risky Was It?
- Weekly Roundup: Cruising The Red Sea On Silver Spirit
- A Silversea Extra: Visit To A Bedouin Tent
- On A Silversea Shore Excursion: Petra, The Jewel Of Jordan
- Living Lågom, Not Large & Learning To Love Silver Spirit’s Wellness Menu, One Calorie At A Time
- What A Day! Last Stop On Our Silversea Shore Excursion: The Temple of Luxor
- Part II: Touring The ‘New Egypt’ At The Temple of Karnak On A Silversea Shore Excursion
- Touring The ‘New Egypt’: Spending The Morning At The Temple of Dandara On A Silversea Shore Excursion
- Walking On The Red Sea & Slow Food On Silversea: A Transformation Of Self Begins
- Days At (Silver) Sea: How Would You Spend Your Time Afloat?
- Passing Mecca: Exciting Days Ahead On Silver Spirit, Ashore In Egypt & Jordan
- Celebrating Easter In The Red Sea On Silver Spirit
- Silver Spirit’s Transit Of The Gulf Of Aden: Uneventful? Not Entirely
- Muscat Love? The Take Away On Our Port Call In Oman’s Capital City
- Departing Dubai: Silver Spirit Sets Sail For Athens & Beyond
- Cruise With Me: Setting Sail On Silver Spirit From Dubai To Athens